The United States Department of State has announced a $3.5 million funding initiative aimed at strengthening the monitoring, documentation and reporting of religious freedom violations and faith-related violence in Nigeria.
The programme, unveiled through the Office of International Religious Freedom under the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour, seeks to support organisations capable of gathering credible evidence of abuses linked to religion and belief for purposes of accountability, advocacy and historical documentation.
According to the funding notice, the project will run for between two and four years and is expected to focus on improving the documentation of violations committed by both state and non-state actors across Nigeria.
The initiative highlights concerns over attacks attributed to armed groups, including Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa, as well as other violent actors operating in different parts of the country. The programme aims to support efforts by human rights advocates, researchers, journalists, religious leaders and affected communities to strengthen reporting mechanisms and evidence gathering.
The US government also expressed concerns over what it described as inadequate responses to attacks on faith communities, arguing that weak accountability measures contribute to continued violence and displacement in affected areas.
Under the programme, applicants are expected to identify at least four Nigerian states for implementation, with particular attention to communities in the Middle Belt region. Eligible applicants include local and international non-profit organisations, academic institutions, public international organisations and other qualified entities.
The funding opportunity follows the designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern by the administration of President Donald Trump over religious freedom concerns.
However, the Nigerian government has consistently rejected claims of religious persecution, maintaining that insecurity affects citizens regardless of faith and stressing its commitment to combating terrorism, banditry and other forms of criminality through ongoing security reforms and international cooperation.
Applications for the programme are expected to close on July 9, 2026
